Blueberries
belong to the Azalea family and require similar growing
conditions. The spineless shrubs can be either evergreen
or deciduous, vary from I m to 3 m in height, and are
long lived (at least 30 years). The fruit has a waxy
bloom, borne in clusters on the end of branches, and
ripens from early summer to autumn, depending on location
and variety.

PREPARATION
AND PLANTING

Soil must
be acid (pH4.5-5.5), well drained, and have high organic
matter (3% +). Clean cultivate, or weedicide, plant oats
as a cover crop, and raise beds if necessary. Test soil
and bring soil phosphorous up to medium levels.

Plant
in full sun.

Planting
distances for larger varieties would be I .2m
between plants and 3-4m between rows.

When
planting tease out roots and plant no deeper than
the nursery level.

Mulch
using sawdust or straw.

Great
for growing in a pot.

CULTURE

Remove
flowers in the first years to encourage growth.
Irrigation is necessary particularly in summer,
with plenty of high quality water. Fertilise as
for Azalea (nitrogen is best absorbed as the
ammonium ion, phosphorous usually needs to be
applied, and shortages of magnesium, copper and
iron are common). Never ever use any kind of manure on blueberry
plants.

Delay
picking until fruit is sweet. A blue berry is not
necessarily a ripe berry, and ripening is uneven
through the cluster. An adult bush should provide
between 4kg and I0kg depending on culture and
variety.

Never ever use manure fertiliser

USES

Blueberries
can be used fresh and do store and freeze well. They can
be dried, used for jams, pies, sauces, muffins, bread,
pancakes, cakes, tarts, ice cream, juice, salads, yoghurt,
and wine. Click here to see recipe ideas

Here is the full spiel

“The
American Indians, living in areas where blueberries grew wild, would dry
them for eating in the winter and for treating upset stomach problems.
More recently blueberries have been found to reduce the insulin
requirements of diabetics and to help control urinary tract infections.
The bilberry, a European relative of the American cultivated blueberry,
has improved night vision and has retarded ocular degeneration.

The
most exciting find in the fifty years I have been associated with
blueberries came from the US Department of Agriculture in 1997.
Blueberries were found to have the highest level of antioxidant of any
fruit or vegetable tested. Antioxidants combat free radicals in the
body. These free radicals come from smoking, air pollution, and the
products of normal use of oxygen during respiration. Excess free
radicals in the body are thought to cause most of the disorders
associated with aging.

Following is a partial list of the changes and disorders of aging that
are brought about by damage from free radicals:

Conversion of desirable HDL cholesterol to the undesirable LDL
cholesterol that causes heart and artery problems.

Collagen damage causing skin wrinkles, varicose veins and arthritis

Oxidative damage to DNA genetic material causing cancer.

The US
Department of Agriculture studies went on to see if blueberries would
cause a recovery from damage from free radicals of oxygen. Blueberries
were found to be very effective. The antioxidant activity in blueberries
is not reduced by freezing, the US Department of Agriculture concluded.
Eating ½ cup of blueberries daily will provide a large part of the
antioxidant activity required to maintain health and delay aging. Who
would have ever thought this delicious little blue fruit would have so
much health benefit”.

Article
by Professor Mike Mainland in the New Jersey Bulletin.

GROWING
TIPS

Blueberries belong to the Azalea family and require similar growing
conditions. The spineless shrubs can be either evergreen or deciduous,
vary from 1m to 3m in height, and are long lived (30 years). The fruit
has a waxy bloom, is borne in clusters on the ends of the branches, and
ripens from early summer to autumn, depending on location and variety.

PREPARATION AND PLANTING

Soil
must be acid (pH4.5-5.5), well drained, and have high organic matter
(3%+). Clean cultivate, or weedicide, and raise beds if necessary.
Test soil and bring soil phosphorus up to medium levels.

Plant
in full sun – or half day sun if in Perth.

Planting distances for larger varieties would be 1-2m between plants
and 3-4m between rows. When planting, tease out roots and plant no
deeper than the nursery level. Mulch using sawdust or straw.

CULTURE

Remove
flowers in the first years to encourage growth.

Irrigation is necessary particularly in summer, with plenty of high
quality water.

Fertilize as for Azalea (nitrogen is best absorbed as the ammonium
ion, phosphorus usually needs to be applied, and shortages of
magnesium, copper and iron are common).

Delay
picking until fruit is sweet. A blue berry is not necessarily a ripe
berry, and ripening is uneven though the cluster. An adult bush
should provide between 4kg and 10kg depending on culture and
variety.